Thursday, August 29, 2002

yay! Kai's project came in the mail today...and the pattern DOES include bear ears. I'm thrilled. I also started a knitting needle inventory last night - I meant to mention it, because I was very excited about it. I think I'm going to start my slippers today, and just plan on finishing the bear for Maddy. The afghan just won't be done by Saturday, and trying to get it done is totally stressing me out. Now I have time to finish it and the hat and mail them. As long as they are done by, oh, Thanksgiving, I think I'll be happy. I really want to get back to the berocco tank and now Kai's project. Maybe start a pair of socks, finish that bag, and make a pair of slippers....Sigh. So much yarn, so little time!

Wednesday, August 28, 2002

Huge sigh of relief. Just spent almost 2 hrs organizing my knitting. Feeling pretty good about it too. I don't feel too guilty about the 3 baby projects I'm working on since I got to spend some time at work on the cro-hook afghan. I would say that I'm about 40% done. Maybe I'll leave the hat at home, since its going to be too big anyway, and bring the bear to finish...I think that makes the most sense. I should also try to embroider the face on first, since I'm going to use yarn...hmmm....I love projects! Can't wait for Kai's hat project to get here!

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

really cool hat pattern...nice looking.

Saturday, August 24, 2002

Congratulations to my stepsister Sarah and her husband Eric...their daughter, Madison Page (or is it Paige) was born at 11:55 pm on August 23rd (that's last night). Maddy weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and 19 inches.

We're going to go see them in a week...I guess I better finish that little stuffed bear, and that afghan...I'd love to do another hat, too.

Wednesday, August 21, 2002

sock patterns

What are my favorite knitting books, yarns, needles?

cool sock knitting animations

local project linus coordinator:

Springfield, MA
Contact: Sue
(413) 783-9165
sstano@smith.edu
Ripped one row of the tank top I was working on. Even though the directions say Wrong Side, it also says to knit....and that would turn the purl-side out, which is NOT the way it is supposed to be. So I will try starting the decreases on the right side, since I'm supposed to do it knit-wise, and then knit to the end. We'll see what happens.

I also picked up that afghan I was making for Sarah's baby. We know now that her name is going to be Madison, but I'm not supposed to know yet. So ssshhhh...its a secret. It is a cro-hook pattern, which is cool. I made two pairs of booties really quickly with this layette set. Not the bonnet or sweater, though. They weren't as nice. I think if I used a really nice, soft yarn it would be cool, but I was still in my acrylic phase when I picked this up. The afghan is coming out nicely, though, and soft. I really do like the Bernat yarn with that shiny bumpy finish - I'll have to look up the name of it.

I think I want to work on a practice sock. I have some sock yarn coming in, and I am excited. I also can't wait to feel the Sirdar Snowflake yarn. It looks so soft in the pictures! And I'm excited to be starting Kai's birthday/Christmas present. I just hope I can successfully negotiate a pair of bear ears! I also can't remember if I ordered the sweater pattern. I really meant to...oh well. And maybe make the rainbow blanket for Maddy.

Friday, August 16, 2002

Got my 1 1/2 inches done on the Berroco tank top for my sister...time to start the decreases. I'm absurdly happy about the body shaping in this. Do enough baby booties, and grown up garments get VERY exciting. I'm also thrilled that I ordered more actual Christmas supplies today; the sirdar snowflake yarn for the kitty/bear hat, and some sock yarn. I'm going to teach myself socks - do you think I can finish a pair for Christmas? I need to pick up some black acrylic for the pirate slippers. I think I'm just going to make a black pair of these and then either embroider, or outline a skull and crossbones. Have to find some graph paper for the pattern. Maybe Jenn I. has some. They have an I-cord tie, which I can manage. There are instructions for making an I-cord on dpns, but I have a knitting knobby to make I-cord. Problem is, I CANNOT figure out the directions. I am such a dork. I'm sure I'll find better instructions somewhere on this great vast internet. Here are some instructions - I'm not sure if they are much clearer than the ones I have at home! Oh, and here is a knitnet I-cord link.

Wednesday, August 14, 2002

Time to create a works in progress list.

A. I currently have (4) afghans in progress, 2 of them likely to be finshed *some day*, 1 to be done hopefully by early October - Christmas at the latest, and 1 that I am debating just ripping and starting over with a new pattern.

B. J-random Knit Bag; it was a free pattern at Michaels, with size 13 needles and Lion Brand Wool-Ease� Thick & Quick, in Pewter. 50% done.

C.

knitting blog that mentions Jamie!!! oh joy.

interesting trendsetter yarn

ooooh...i need this yarn...oh, and the pom-pom yarn to make that sweater - great connection for filatura di crosi yarn

Wish List:

need to do a knitting needle inventory!!

i know i need: #6s, #7s, and #8s

love this woman's site and envy her knits!

brit knit blog

another Jennifer's knit blog

one more knitblog
Debbie Bliss's page

Originally written:



sometime in early August

harry potter knitting

I need to stop clicking next in the knitting bloggers webring

totally cute blog

I love this afghan - too bad I have too many other WIPs, and planned projects

patterns

I was reading a knitting blog of a girl who complained about going to her local yarn store (abbreviated LYS - I got a kick out of that) and just feeling out of it. She wasn't approached, no one asked her if they could help her or what she was working on. I have that same problem at my LYS - I love the store, but no one there seems very interested in me, and I feel very novice-y,even though I'm starting to get some experience.

I'm wondering about turning the thrashed green pants I have into a skirt - I think I should wait until I get my sewing machine, though. I also would love to make corsets from my old army pants. I would LOVE that,seriously. My obsessions are getting too intense...must stop.

maybe this will be my next project.



Originally written:



July 30th, 2002

You know, knitting is approaching serious illness status with me. It has been less than 72 hours since I finished the hellish job of completing all those self-imposed baby projects for my step-sister's baby shower. And I burned out my wrists knitting like 8 hours straight. And all I can think of is, "When can I start my next knitting project?"

I finished a total of 5 pairs of booties, 2 singletons, and one hat. One pair came out so bad that I didn't even give it to Sarah, but hey, it was a learning experience. One pair came out too big; I was so enamored of the yarn that I didn't pay attention to the guage and the booties came out huge. That was after ripping them, too.

The last pair was the one that came out the best. I got both the pattern and the yarn from
patternworks.com. the yarn was a yellow/blue ombre, plymouth dreambaby dk. It was incredibly soft. I also made a hat. The hat and the too big booties were from a debbie bliss book, called either simple knits or easy knits. I didn't finish any of the baby afghans I started. I'm not sure if I'll go back to them or not.

I went back and ripped the ripple afghan kit that Nana gave me. I had it for 2 years, and had only succeeded in mucking up the crochet. Since my knitting confidence has improved, I went back and started it again, by ripping the whole thing, and casting on with
the proper size circular needles and stitch markers. Maybe after I've finished my Christmas projects I can start it up again.

I would really like to knit Kai one of those sirdar hat thingies that look like dog ears or lizard spikes that they sell in mary maxim. A sweater too. And I want to make pirate slippers for Nick, or maybe big stripey socks, and a tank top for my sister. And finish that knit bag...I don't know who that is going to. I just want to be knitting. Maybe I'll pick up that big needle bag when we're at the house tomorrow. I just seem to think better when I knit.